Guan Xiaotong (; born 17 September 1997) is a Chinese actress and singer of

Manchu The Manchus (; ) are a Tungusic East Asian ethnic group native to Manchuria in Northeast Asia. They are an officially recognized ethnic minority in China and the people from whom Manchuria derives its name. The Later Jin (1616–1636) an ...

descent. She is known for her roles in films '' The Left Ear'' and ''

Shadow A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two- dimensional silhouett ...

''; and the television series '' To Be a Better Man''. From an early age, her family encouraged a passion for the arts, and she first starred in Nuan at the age of four.

Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

listed Guan under their

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

2017 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields. Known as the "Nation's Daughter" in China, Guan is regarded as one of the " Four Dan Actresses of the post-90s Generation" and as one of the "New Four Dan actresses of the "post-'95s" Generation" by

CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly ...

Biography

Guan was born to a family of actors in Beijing. Her father, Guan Shaozeng, was an actor, and her grandfather, Guan Xuezeng was the founder of Beijing Qinshu. From an early age, her family encouraged a passion for

the arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

, and she first starred in ''

Nuan ''Nuan'' () is a 2003 Chinese film directed by Huo Jianqi. The film won the Grand Prix at the 16th Tokyo International Film Festival. The film is an adaptation of author Mo Yan's short story, ''The White Dog and the Swing.'' The film is set in Mao ...

'' at the age of four. In 2016, Guan was admitted into the

Beijing Film Academy Beijing Film Academy (BFA; ) is a coeducational state-run higher education institution in Beijing, China. The film school is the largest institution specializing in the tertiary education for film and television production in Asia. The academy ...

after placing first in both the practical and written section of the Chinese College Entrance Examinations.

Career

Guan first gained attention when she starred in ''

'', adapted from author Mo Yan's short story, ''The White Dog and the Swing''. The film garnered positive reception from both China and Japan. Guan rose to prominence as a child actress through

Chen Kaige Chen Kaige (; born 12 August 1952) is a Chinese film director and a leading figure of the fifth generation of Chinese cinema.Berry, Michael (2002). "Chen Kaige: Historical Revolution and Cinematic Rebellion" in Speaking in Images: Interviews wi ...

's film '' The Promise'', playing the younger counterpart of

Cecilia Cheung Cecilia Cheung Pak-chi (in Chinese 張栢芝, born 24 May 1980) is a Hong Kong actress and cantopop singer. Cheung is considered a " Sing girl"—an actress who first received media attention through starring alongside Stephen Chow, and late ...

's character. She continued to build up her filmography, starring in television series and films. Her popularity rose as she starred in the 2014 television series ''May December Love'', which received high ratings in China. She also starred in ''One Servant of Two Masters'', which won her the Best Supporting Actress award at the Hengdian Film and TV Festival of China. Following the airing of these dramas, Guan was dubbed as the "Nation's Daughter" by the Chinese media. In 2015, Guan starred in coming-of-age film '' The Left Ear'', and won the Most Promising Actress award at the inaugural Gold Aries Award held by Macau International Movie Festival. The same year, she also released her first solo album, ''Eighteen''. In 2016, Guan starred in the family drama ''Papa Can You Hear Me Sing'', a remake of the classic Taiwanese film of the same name. She then starred in the romance drama '' To Be A Better Man''. Both series earned high ratings in China, and Guan won the Best Supporting Actress award at the

Shanghai Television Festival The Shanghai Television Festival (), abbreviated STVF, also known as the Shanghai International Television Festival is the first and one of the largest television festivals in East Asia. Held since 1986, STVF has become one of the most influential ...

for her performance in ''To Be a Better Man''. She also starred in her first adult leading role in the fantasy drama '' Novoland: Castle in the Sky'', and won the Best Actress award at the 7th Macau International Television Festival for her performance. In 2017, Guan played the female lead in fantasy action drama '' Xuan-Yuan Sword: Han Cloud'' and romance comedy series ''Love of Aurora''. In 2018, Guan starred in the historical romance drama '' Untouchable Lovers'' as well as sports romantic comedy series ''

Sweet Combat ''Sweet Combat'' (Chinese: 甜蜜暴击) is a 2018 Chinese television series starring Lu Han and Guan Xiaotong. The series is based on the Korean manhwa '' Girls of the Wild's''. The series aired on Hunan TV starting July 23, 2018. Synopsis Ming ...

''. The same year, Guan starred in

Zhang Yimou Zhang Yimou (; born 2 April 1950) is a Chinese film director, producer, writer, actor and former cinematographer.Tasker, Yvonne (2002). "Zhang Yimou" i''Fifty Contemporary Filmmakers'' Routledge Publishing, p. 412. . Google Book Search. Retriev ...

's wuxia film ''

'', receiving positive reviews for her portrayal of a double-faced princess. The same year, she was cast in the fantasy romance film ''The Story of Turandot'' alongside

Dylan Sprouse Dylan Thomas Sprouse (born August 4, 1992) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Zack Martin on the Disney Channel series ''The Suite Life of Zack & Cody'' and its spin-off, ''The Suite Life on Deck'', where he starred alongs ...

. ''Forbes China'' listed Guan under their 30 Under 30 Asia 2017 list which consisted of 30 influential people under 30 years old who have had a substantial effect in their fields. In 2020, Guan starred in the female-centric youth modern drama ''Twenty Your Life On''. The same year, she starred in the romance comedy film ''Oversize Love''.

Social activities

In 2017, Guan became the ambassador for "World Life Day", a joint campaign by the

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on ...

International Fund for Animal Welfare The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is one of the largest animal welfare and conservation charities in the world. The organization works to rescue individual animals, safeguard populations, preserve habitat, and advocate for greater ...

and

The Nature Conservancy The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US. Founded in 1951, The Nat ...

Personal life

On October 8 2017, Guan and Chinese actor-singer

Lu Han Lu Han (Chinese: 鹿晗, born April 20, 1990), also known mononymously as Luhan, is a Chinese singer and actor. He was a member of the South Korean-Chinese boy group Exo and its sub-group Exo-M, before leaving the group in October 2014. Tha ...

, her co-star in ''

'' admitted that they were dating

Filmography

Film

Television Series

Discography

Albums

Singles

Soundtracks

Other appearances

Bibliography

Awards and nominations

Forbes China Celebrity 100

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guan, Xiaotong 1997 births Living people 21st-century Chinese actresses Chinese television actresses Chinese film actresses Chinese child actresses Actresses from Beijing Manchu actresses Beijing Film Academy alumni The Amazing Race contestants Manchu singers